Simply Faithful: Add more Bible reading with ‘A Spoonful of Grace’

Thursday

Jun 22, 2017 at 9:44 AMJun 22, 2017 at 9:44 AM

Marketta Gregory More Content Now

Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a parent. I knew it would be rewarding, but I had no idea it would be so humbling — that there would be so much I wanted to teach and so little I knew. That’s why I appreciate books like “A Spoonful of Grace.” In it, author Annette Hubbell has compiled more than 350 prayers and Bible verses that are meant to be shared before a family meal and discussed.

“‘A Spoonful of Grace’ is also great for grandparents and caregivers, busy people who want to add more Bible reading into their lives, or people who would like to say grace with others but don’t know how or where to begin,” said Hubbell, who came up with the idea for the book after noticing that a friend led grace differently than she did. There must be other prayers she hadn’t heard, Hubbell thought, so she began to ask others about their traditions.

“What I received back surprised me,” she said. “It seems that there are, in fact, only a handful of ‘standard’ graces; most are impromptu, made up according to how the day unfolds. Even more surprising were the responses of those who didn’t regularly say grace but wished they did — and would if they had some structure.”

So, Hubbell earned a certificate in apologetics from Biola University, immersed herself in Bible studies, traveled throughout the Holy Lands and began writing.

The result was a book that could help us all because prayer and family time are both still important.

“We are fast becoming a society that communicates more through electronic devices than through the spoken word,” Hubbell said. “Twitter- or texting-sized attention spans and social media interactions don’t lend themselves to developing minds or bonding opportunities, and family time (sans electronic devices) becomes more important than ever.

“I also believe that there is (at least) one thing that kids should see their parents doing every day: Praying. What better way to develop a deeper relationship with God and to strengthen family ties than to eat and pray together? With ‘A Spoonful of Grace,’ families have an opportunity to pray together, to say meaningful things to each other, and to get to know one another.

“... I hope this book will help turn mealtimes into fun- and faith-filled conversations about issues that count — like sharing, honesty, friendship, respect — and, of course, God.”

If you are looking for more family fun, visit SimplyFaithful.com and download a free ice cream passport. It’s designed to be a journal or scrapbook to track all of the ice cream stores you visit this summer. It has spaces for you to write down what flavors you tried and stars to make it easy to rank your favorite shops.

— Marketta Gregory is a former religion reporter who can’t stop writing about what is sacred and holy. She is a native of Oklahoma but makes her home in Rochester, New York, with her husband, two crazy boys and one very vocal Pomeranian. Find more of her writing at SimplyFaithful.com or check out her book, “Simply Faithful: Finding the Sacred in Everyday Life.”